Utilization, Determinants, and Prospects of Electronic Medical Records in Ethiopia

Abstract

Background. A lot of effort is being done in the electronic medical record (EMR) system. However, it has not been implemented and used at the expected scale for maximal effectiveness. There is limited evidence on the factors affecting the utilization of EMR in this particular context, which are critical for targeted strategies. Objective. To assess the magnitude and factors affecting the utilization of EMR among health professionals in eastern Ethiopia. Methods. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected 412 health professionals from Harari and Dire Dawa, eastern Ethiopia, using a pretested self-administered questionnaire. The tool was developed from previous literature, and a pilot survey was done before the actual study. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression were done to assess the relationship between an independent variable with EMR use. Crude and an adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval were reported. A P value of less than 0.05 was used to declare a statistically significant association. Results. A total of 412 health professionals with a mean age of 29 years (±6.4 years) were included. A total of 229 (55.6%) and 300 (72.8%) of them had good knowledge and attitude towards the EMR, while 279 (67.7%) used the service (54% used it on a daily basis). About 272 (66%) of the respondents reported that they prefer EMRs to paper-based systems. Health professionals with more than five years of experience had two times higher odds of using the service ( AOR = 2.22 ; 95% CI; 1.12-4.42) than early-career workers. Health professionals trained in EMR would use the service more ( AOR = 5.88 ; 95% CI; 2.93-11.88) compared to those who did not take the training. In addition, having good knowledge ( AOR = 1.52 ; 95% CI; 0.92-1.5) and a good attitude towards the EMR system ( AOR = 2.4 ; 95% CI; 1.35-4.31) showed to use EMR as compared to counterparts. Conclusions. The utilization of EMR was found to be optimal. Age, work experience, knowledge, attitude, and training of professionals were positively associated with the use of the service in their facility.

Electronic Medical Record System Use and Determinants in Ethiopia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…The number of studies with the smallest and largest sample sizes was 412 and 606, respectively. Among the included primary studies, 2 studies were undertaken in the eastern Ethiopia [2,20], 1 in northwest Ethiopia's Amhara region [11], 1 in the Tigray region [21], and 1 in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa [7]. As shown in Table [7], 2015 a To assess the quality of each included study, we used the Joanna Briggs Institute quality assessment tool using 9 criteria.…”

“…According to a survey of the comprehensive evaluation of EMR systems in 5 Ethiopian hospitals, only about 31.7% of the participants used EMRs [7]. Similar studies in eastern Ethiopia revealed that EMRs are being used optimally [2]. Another study in the northwestern part of Ethiopia found that only 46.5% of participants used hospital EMR systems [11].…”

“…The electronic medical record (EMR) is widely regarded as a critical health information technology tool for improving the quality of medical care [1]. EMRs are computerized patient record systems introduced in the early 1970s to collect, store, and display patient information [2,3]. EMRs can include a variety of clinical services units, such as test ordering, consultation, e-prescription, decision support system, digital imaging, and telemedicine, while protecting patient privacy and confidentiality [4][5][6].…”

Healthcare providers’ readiness for electronic health record adoption: a cross-sectional study during pre-implementation phase

“…Moreover, the government of Ethiopia proposed to implement country-wide EHR which initiated the authors of this research to investigate the readiness level before the actual implementation. Previous progress in digitalization of healthcare such as the implementation of DHIS2, electronic community health information system (e-CHIS), and EMR in a few hospitals indicated that the implementation capability of the country-wide EHR if the pre-implementation activities are handled effectively and supported with research findings [56,[65][66][67].…”

“…Additionally, the ministry of health (MOH) deployed EMR in a few Hospitals of central, eastern, and northern parts of Ethiopia as a pilot. But, the plans to scale up those EMRs to other hospitals were failed [65].…”